BIRDS USED FOR SPORT IN CHINA. 451 
the first. Such is, at quite a different season, the popular 
amusement in certain provinces or towns of the Celestial 
Empire. 
“Tf from these tricksters in the highways we turn to operatic 
artists, I have a few words to say about the Mantchourian Lark. 
It is much larger than that which we have here. It sings mar- 
vellously, with great flexibility and compass, and not only its 
own particular song; for it is easy to teach it the songs of many 
other birds, and even the cries of many animals. Mme. Gray, 
the wife of a Protestant missionary at Canton, in a work which 
she has written on her sojourn in that country, states that she 
. once saw at Gambon a Lark which imitated the barking of a 
dog and the mewing of a cat, as a Starling would do in this 
country. In spring the Chinese may be seen bringing out their 
cages with Larks, and carrying them about the streets. They 
establish singing competitions, and appoint jurors to award the 
prize. At the time of certain religious festivals they bring these 
cages into the temples and hang them to the joists of the ceiling, 
so that the singing of their birds may do honour to the divinities 
they venerate. 
“The album of illustrations of which I have spoken will 
better exemplify the charming and simple nature of the pastimes 
to which I have alluded.” 
At the invitation of the President, a discussion then ensued 
as follows :— 
M. Decroix: May I ask Mgr. Perny, who is present, whether 
these pastimes are generally practised throughout the country, 
or whether they are only exceptional, and, for instance, confined 
to the South, North, East, or West ? 
Mer. Perny: That which M. Pichot has described takes 
place more particularly in certain provinces of China. The 
customs are nearly the same everywhere, but with variation. 
In the provinces of Szu-tchouan and of Kouang-tchéou they are 
less common. 
M. Pichot: The information which I have received comes 
chiefly from Shanghai and Pekin. 
Mgr. Perny: There is another very interesting bird in China 
—the Cormorant—of which M. Pichot has not said anything, 
and which the Chinese use especially for fishing. They train 
these birds very well. A fisherman has a dozen or so in his 
